Gods of War: Midnight

Chapter 18

Blast walked through the forest, the wolves howling at mid afternoon out of sight. Blast could follow where they had been though from faint heat trails left by the canines. He unsheathed Akaka from its scabbard as he slowly got closer to the pack.

They were in a hollow, Blast stood above them and was downwind, the pack were eating from a sheep and hadn't noticed him. They were all large and grey-silver. "Ignite." Blast cast in a whisper, the sheep exploded into flames, singing some wolves' muzzles in the process. "Inferno Eagle Ignition." Blast cast, jumping down, his left hand on Raiju's leather hilt. Two wolves jumped at him as he landed, he cut their throats as they jumped with Akaka letting them land harmlessly limp behind him. A wolf charged along the ground at him, but Blast sliced open its side, the wolf also fell limp. The next wolf who had been eating from the sheep also jumped at him, Blast positioned himself to cut the wolf's throat, and then heard a growl and the snap of a twig above him where he had stood moments before. The second wolf was airborne, and falling towards Blast's neck with its jaws open.
Was this how Maria felt?

Blast unsheathed the yellow sword and raised it behind him.
Blast stepped forwards and killed the first wolf, its muzzle still red from eating the sheep. Blast then glanced upwards at the wolf falling, and did the same movement with Raiju, blood falling onto his back as the wolf landed onto the dirt. Three wolves who had been eating at the sheep now charged towards him, all at different angles, one jumping. "Raiju Shield." Blast cast, a yellow field appearing around him that the wolves charged into, electrocuting themselves. The last wolf that had been eating the sheep in the clearing had fled. Blast sheathed Raiju and followed its heat trail.
Blast eventually found it again, its tail between its legs, standing in front of a tree, another group of wolves stopped it from going any further.
This must be the edge of its territory. Blast though to himself.
With Akaka still unsheathed, Blast walked towards the wolf.

"Choose your death, running away into a group of hostile wolves, or defend your territory from me." Blast said. Then all the wolves attacked Blast.
I approached too much to unsheathe Raiju or cast a spell. I fell into their trap!
"Solar" Blast began to cast as the wolves got within striking distance, he couldn't kill any of them without getting injured himself, so he deflected them behind him, they quickly got up and jumped at him again. "Flare!" Blast finished.
Blast waited for the next attack, unable to process his surroundings. He managed to blink and look around after a few seconds. The wolves were burning, and some trees were alight. Blast extended his hand and absorbed the flames, the trees were only slightly singed, which was more than what could be said for the wolves. Lying on the ground dead, burning. Blast absorbed those flames too, before sheathing Akaka and returning to normal body heat ranges.
He picked up the body of one of the wolves, and dragged it with him out the forest.

-

He finally made it to the bar. Jonathan was waiting, five people were also watching him bring the wolf's body through the bar to the request board.
"Request complete." Blast said in the silent bar, a cheer went up and everyone went back to their drinks. Jonathan was looking at Blast over the counter, smirking.
"Not bad, I was wondering if you'd make it back alive." The bartender said.
"So was I for a minute, after I beat most of the pack, one ran off and rejoined with the rest of the pack who pretended to be another pack preventing it from escaping onto their territory. Next thing I know, they're all attacking me!" Jonathan laughed in reply.
"Good job then. Here's the reward, I'll show the corpse to the person who requested this in the morning."
As Blast picked up the change, a female customer walked up to them both.
"No need to wait till dawn, I am the requester." She said. "Call me Brina, I'll have to keep an eye out for you, I was wondering if I'd need a third person to attempt it later on, those wolves were a pain."
"Now, now, Brina." Jonathan started.
"I'm sure I'll be hearing great things about you. Jonathan, you better be nice to this boy." Brina seemingly continued without listening to Jonathan.
"Yes ma'am."
"I'll need to leave soon if I'm to take another request tomorrow." Blast interrupted, both Jonathan and Brina were seemingly about to continue their odd quarrel.
"Ah, of course. I'm sure I'll hear about you again later."
"I'll see you tomorrow then." Jonathan replied.
Blast left the bar and returned to the Hotel, now with a single bed in the room.
"I think the strangest part of that request was the looks I got dragging that thing through the city!" Blast said, removing his vest top, and soaking it in water. He scrubbed the back with a brush before hanging it up on a pole running across the bathroom to dry. Blast then got into his bed and fell asleep easily, worn out from the travelling.

-

Maria hadn't enjoyed her day that much either, although she knew she was alive and it was late at night, throughout the day, her vision had been of strange lights, some were definitely nurses helping with procedures, some Maria wasn't sure about, and her hearing and continued to be strange, cutting off in mid conversation, to Maria, a week had already passed, her chest and stomach hurt, and she struggled to fall into the depths of sleep. Somewhere outside of the stone room, Blast was waiting for her to walk out so they could continue his quest, but a fear nagged her, a fear that Blast would leave without her.